Area Committee: December 2020

One Stockport Borough Plan Development

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INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

This report builds on the One Stockport update presented to Area Committees in November 2020 where there was discussion about the shape of One Stockport to outline our approach to developing a shared One Stockport borough plan. This report covers how we are progressing the borough plan, our approach to capturing the views of our residents, businesses and workforce, the data and insight we are considering - and how this will inform our priorities for the future

We previously presented to Area Committees in November 2020 to outline our approach to One Stockport and our emerging borough plan. We committed to bringing an update on the progress of the borough plan and as such this report sets out our approach to engagement, data and insight that will inform our priorities for the future.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic we have seen public services, businesses and communities come together to support each other and protect the most vulnerable. Despite the challenges the pandemic has brought, feedback has shown a strong emphasis on hope and ambition from our communities, partners and businesses. Whether that was for their families, friends, neighbours, work or local area. There is a strong desire to ensure we were are ambitious for Stockport.

We want to continue the spirit of collaboration and develop a shared narrative for Stockport that outlines how we want to work together and our joint priorities. In developing our collective plan we want to reflect the voices and priorities of local communities, alongside understanding and responding to insight gathered through impact studies, our Joint Strategic Needs Analysis (JSNA) and wider data analysis to shape how we stay together as One Stockport to provide the conditions and opportunities for happy, healthy, thriving, connected communities

This report provides an overview of the engagement and analysis we have undertaken to date and which will inform our shared priorities and vision. This insight is designed to be used to support shared understanding of our Borough, we will continue to work collectively to understand lived experiences, insight and our data. We recognise that the impact of Covid-19

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isn’t yet fully understood and will change over time. It will be important to embed intelligence, insight and co-design in all future planning.

Our last Borough Plan was agreed in 2015, since this point and in reflection of the last 8 months we are reshaping how we work, developing our new narrative for the Council, reflecting the aspirations of One Stockport and responding to the ambitions and expectations of our communities, partners and workforce. We know we need to be radical, brave and ambitious — reimagining what we do, how we do it and being clear on why we are doing it, putting local people and businesses at the heart of our new way of working at all times.

SHAPING OUR AMBITION AND PRIORITIES

Throughout 2020 we are running a broad engagement programme under the One Stockport movement to capture the experiences, insight and aspirations of our communities, businesses and different partnership perspectives. This programme has adapted to respond to Covid-19 and as such this report also includes feedback which captures the impact, as told by our residents, of the pandemic on their lives. As we continue to live with, and be impacted by Covid-19, we will continue to capture experiential information to better understand how this unprecedented period has affected our Borough and build co-design into future approaches.

Engagement activities were undertaken collaboratively and in partnership across partners and sectors. In particular we’ve focussed on understanding:

° Why are you proud to live and/or work in Stockport? ° What is important for you for the future?

° What are your priorities for Stockport?

° How has Covid-19 affected you and your family?

One Stockport is not just about what we focus on together, but how we work together, and to that end we are committed to ensuring that this engagement programme leaves a lasting legacy of ongoing conversation and collaboration.

In order to be as inclusive as possible, and in recognition of the unprecedented circumstances, we adopted a number of different approaches and methodologies to ensure we captured a broad range of views and experiences:

o Online surveys e Video booth

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o Workshops ° Partnership forums ° Underpinned by ongoing conversations

Although we are committed to hearing the voices of all groups across our borough, the limitations of social distancing haven’t always made this possible. We have engaged through representative organisations and forums to ensure the views and experiences of as many groups as possible are captured. We have engaged with the following groups:

° All residents about the impact of covid

° Representatives of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector

° Representatives of the Business sector

° Young People

° Older people

° Parents and Carers

° All residents about future priorities and aspirations

WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM OUR COMMUNITIES

Through our engagement process we captured feedback from over 1,200 people who either live or work in Stockport. Some common themes emerged from these exercises and are outlined below.

Flourishing and connected communities came through as a key

theme throughout our engagement. The VSCE sector, Businesses, Young people, Older people and the Parents and Carers group all mentioned the importance of this. Within the Covid impact survey 43% of people said they felt more connected to their local community during lockdown, and the One Stockport priorities survey shows that one of the top three best things about living in Stockport is feeling part of a community where people support one another.

People enjoy living and working in Stockport. Young people reflected on the parks and access to green spaces. Local businesses spoke of the support they had received from local residents. 48% of covid survey respondents said they would continue to support local businesses in the future and saw them as an important part of our future.

All groups talked about the importance of inclusive employment opportunities. Young people said it was important for them that there were both job opportunities available for them but also that they had the confidence and skills for the future. Parents, carers, representatives of the Voluntary,

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Community and Social Enterprise sector also said they'd like to see more done to improve opportunities for those who are more likely to experience exclusion such as those with special educational needs and experiencing poverty, to flourish and successfully secure employment. Local businesses also spoke about how it was important we were supporting people to develop skills for the future with an eye to emerging jobs in fields such as digital as well as in traditional sectors such as health and care.

Looking after the environment, climate change and having access to parks and open spaces was identified as being an important issue for our children and young people across the borough. Our priorities survey shows that people rated the best thing about living in Stockport as the access to parks and green spaces. They also said this was one of the most important things for the future of Stockport.

Equality, equity and unity also came out as a recurring theme amongst all groups. Our VCSE organisations would like to see more connection and inclusion of groups including LGBTQ+, Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities and people with disabilities. The intersectionality of different identities was also identified as an important determining factor in outcomes for individuals and families. Our young people said that we should be united and care for each other and our older people suggested we should encourage more intergenerational relationships. The impact and momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement was referenced within several discussions.

Feedback clearly showed that people and communities have, and continue to be, impacted by Covid-19, with concerns about the future, employment opportunities and the physical and mental health and wellbeing of family, friends and our communities emerging strongly in discussions and surveys. Conversations focussed on the importance of mutual support, collaborating to support those in need but also to maintain new relationships and closer ways of working and designing, together, a hopeful future.

WHAT OUR DATA IS TELLING US

The following overview provides data and intelligence on Stockport, based on the available data and focussed on a range of themes; population trends and inequality to the economy, health, climate change and more.

This information is provided to help add context and understand what opportunities and challenges potentially face Stockport in the short to medium term future.

The data has been drawn from a number of sources including national and local assessments:

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° Stockport’s population is growing, albeit at a slower rate than national and regional averages

o Stockport is ageing, with an increasing population aged over 65

° Stockport has a strong economy and are in the top 20 in the UK for productivity growth

° Stockport faces an unemployment challenge as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, but is in a stronger position than other areas

° Stockport is a polarised borough (top 10 in England), with a number of residents living in some of the most affluent and least affluent areas in England

° Stockport's children generally achieve above average outcomes, however the most vulnerable children do not perform as well as their peers across England

° Stockport tends to have good health outcomes and life expectancy that have been improving year on year, however the pace of improvement has reduced in recent years.

e Stockport's ageing population will result in health & care challenges in future, with more over 75’s living alone and an increase in the number of people needing social care and health services

° Stockport has been significantly affected by Covid-19, with excess deaths, higher unemployment and an impact on mental health and wellbeing

To ensure we continue to use data and insight at the heart of One Stockport we are developing a single open-source data hub called the Big Stockport picture. This will be an opportunity to share data and intelligence more openly so it can be widely used by partners, commissioners but also the community.

NEXT STEPS

We will continue to incorporate feedback and insight as we continue to work with our partners to develop our priorities and plan for the borough. The One Stockport Borough Plan will be presented to Full Council meeting in February 2021 for consideration.

Area Committee are asked to feedback their reflections on the contents of this report and share their thoughts on priorities for the borough.